Fire-extinguisher.



No. 690,556. Patented lan.- 7, |902.

J. H. BBITTON.

FIRE EXTINGUISHEB.

(Application med mi. 1e, 1900.)

(No Model.)

w`\\n e'sses.

W ,Q www m,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN II. BRITTON, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

FIRE-EXTING U|sH ER.

SEEGFIGATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 690,556, dated January 7, 1 9072.

Application filed January 16, 1900. Serial No. 1,677. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern.-

Beit known that I, JOHN H. BR1TTON,'a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles, State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Fire-Extinguishers, of-

which the. following is a specification, reference being had to thevaccompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in fire-extinguishers of the effervescent-chemical type.

The object of my improvement is to provide a lire-extinguisher in which the mixture of the chemicals is prevented by being hermetically sealed until the extinguisher is to be used, when they are readily united by simplyinvertin g the extinguisher without breaking any glass. I accomplish this object by means of the device shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a central vertical section of my extinguisher, one half of the charging vessel B being shown in section and the other half in elevation. tion` of the charging vessel inverted, the lid C having fallen off--the position it assumes when the extinguisher is inverted, as it is while being used.

In the drawings, A designates a cylindrical tank or other suitable receptacle for an alkali solution, provided with a raised bpttom A' and a cap D, fitting tightly on the mouth. A charging vessel B at the mouth of the tank, containing the acid element, is supported in the frame H, which in turn is supported in the mouth of the tank by lugs B', projecting out from the frame and resting on the shoulders A in the neck of the tank. The top of the charging vessel is closed by the lid C. This has anannular groove C',

adapted to register with the top of the acidtank or charging vessel and in which plastic amalgam G is placed. The amalgam will adhere to the metallic covering of the lid, but will not unite with the glass top of the charging vessel. The lid C is made-of sufficient weight to keep it well pressed down on the amalgam lying between it and the top of the charging vessel and forming a hermetical seal between the two.

When it is desired to Fig. 2 is a central vertical secand the extinguisher is inverted and used in lthe usual well-known manner. Upon inverting the extinguisher the lid C will drop down into ,the position shown in Fig. 2, the amalgam going down with the lid, for which it has an affinity, and parting from the glass of the charging vessel, for which it has no affinity, dumping the acid contents into the alkalitank. i

The difliculty heretofore experienced in nre-extinguishers has been to prevent the absorption of the alkali fluid by the acid in the charging vessel, which would neutralize it and render it ineffective. Various devices have been employed to prevent this, with but poor success except when the acid is stored in a receptacle hermetically sealed, and the only practical way in which this has heretofore been done. isby placing the acid in a glass jar and providing -means to break the jar when it is desired to use the extinguisher. This plan is objectionable, as the broken glass` will work into the rubber dischargepipe and clog and injure the same, besides which when the charging vessel is broken it is often difficult to replace it, disabling the extinguisher from further use. (It will be observed that I have used for holding the acid an ordinary jelly-jar, found in .any grocery or crockery store in case it should become broken, which is not liable to occur.) By the interposition of; amalgam-for. instance, tin amalgam-between the glass top of the charging-chamber and the lid, which may be of tin or copper, I provide a hermetical seal between them, and any admixture of the acid with the alkali is absolutely pre; vented, and at the same time the acid may be dumped into the alkali without breaking anything by inverting the extinguisher, as the amalgam readily parts from the glass.

Having described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In a fire-extinguisher, the combination of a closed alkali-containing tank; an acidcontaining vessel in an upright position in the mouth thereof; a lid for said acid vessel adapted to cover the mouth thereof, and having on its under face an annular groove for theV reception of plastic amalgam; plastic IOO amalgam in said groove, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a fire-extinguisher, the combination of plastic amalgam interposed between the charging vessel and the lid thereof; the charging vessel for holding-acid, andthe lid; the lid being provided with means to hold the amalgam between itself and the top edges of the charging vessel.

3. In a fire-extinguisher, plastic amalgam between the top of the charging-chamber and the lid thereof.

4. In a tire-extinguisher adapted to discharge the acid in the charging-chamber into the tank containing the alkali when the extinguisher is inverted, the combination of plastic amalgam interposed between the top of lthe charging-chamber and the lid thereon, the charging-chamber and the lid, substantially as shown and described.

5. A portable fire-extinguisher, comprising an alkali-containing tank; a charging vessel located therein for holding the acid and having a lid adapted to fall off when the extinguisher is inverted; and plastic amalgam interposed between the lid and the top of the charging-chamber for hermetically sealing the same.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name, this 8th day of January, 1900, at Los Angeles, California.

J. H. BRITTON.

lVitnesses:

'HENRY T. HAZARD, M. C. WILKINSON. 

